Chasing After You
by Ujikofuda
Summary: [AU, mostly SasuNaru] Naruto becomes engulfed in the music world when Sasuke insults his favorite band. But what happens when he figures out that Sasuke has a closer relationship to his idols than he thinks?
1. Prelude

**Summary:** Naruto becomes engulfed in the music world when Sasuke insults his favorite band. Things are hard enough from trying to support a band and getting used to his new home, but what happens when he figures out that Sasuke has a closer relationship to his idols than he thinks?

**Pairings:** SasuNaru, slight ItaNaru, and a whole bunch of others, including straight ones.

**Rating:** For now, T. But it might change later.

**Chapter 1 - Prelude**

"This was it," he whispered.

The first lonely bass note silenced the unruly crowd. Faces, covered in thick layers of make-up, turned to see a solitary figure, hunched over his bass. The lights turned red, illuminating the fog that drowned the stage. The man let out another note, this one just a little bit louder. Someone in the distance let out a scream, and if on cue, the bassist picked up a steady rhythm. It went up and down, keeping perfect, calculated time.

By now most of the audience recognized the song. They screamed, stamped their feet, and waved their arms. The whole crowd was just a black mass of swarming energy and heat, even though the concert had just started. It swelled even more when the counting of the drums beat in, dancing up before becoming softer, making the sturdy base for the song.

Then the lights flashed bright.

They were all dressed in black cloaks, with intricate red clouds sewn on the surface. Just four of them, all positioned in a little semi-circle. But despite the calm expressions on the two who didn't play yet, the crowd was going more wild, if that was at all possible.

The blonde lifted up his hand dramatically, and then struck a note on his guitar, adding a wild tone to the song. The sound lifted and sank, speeding up here, and slowing down in another place. It was almost erratic, but to the steady, yet somewhat complicated rhythm the bass and drums gave, it fit perfectly. This was harmony in one of its best forms

The singer, standing in the middle of the group, tightened his grip on his microphone and opened his mouth to sing. But before he could even let one word out, screams sounded from everywhere in the arena. A grin on his face, he continued on, his strong voice drowning out the crowd.

The tallest was Kisame, the drummer. He was keeping up a steady rhythm. His arms moved wildly, striking harshly upon each instrument. The man was so tall that in photo shoots the others would sometimes have to stand on stools, just so everyone's outfit could be clearly seen. Even from the back, one could see the inhuman blue tone to his skin, but Kisame was no wild, uncoordinated monster. Rather, he was that calm beast, every strike and every blow perfected.

The guitarist Deidara kept on moving from side to side of the stage. He seemed to have to move continuously, even though his wrist was moving swiftly because of the fast pace of the song. One could easily tell music was this man's life. He often said in interviews that it had to leave the largest impression on people, because it would disappear soon after. The blonde, about to jump into his solo, spun in a complete circle and then pressed a heavy boot to one of the effect pedals near him.

Their red-haired bassist's notes mirrored Deidara's before he abruptly broke off. Some of the teenage girls in the audience screamed as they recognized that look on Sasori's face. Normally quiet, the bassist was indeed the "base" for the group, using his sensibility to get the group out of trouble, or to help them in a creativity slump. But during lives… well…

Sasori was known for being a possessive man, at least about Deidara. No one cared whether their relationship was real or not. All they cared about was that intensity when he moved up to Deidara, who had lowered his head as he came to the climax of his solo. Sasori rested his head on the other's shoulder and traced the rim of his band member's ear with his tongue. The guitarist looked shocked for a moment, but those hands never faltered in their playing.

Itachi, the singer, was a beauty, not doubt about it. However, he had been told by friends that if he were just to relax a little more, he could be even better. But he never cared. He could just stand there and woo people, and it even showed in the concert. The man had flashed a little grin to one of the girls closest to the stage, and just like that, she fainted on the sticky floor of the concert hall.

No one ever questioned if Itachi disliked what he did.

In fact, no one ever questioned if any of them disliked what they did. As far as the world was concerned, Akatsuki was the most inspirational and popular band in the world, at least at this moment. They had made their way through local venues and minor labels like everyone else, but now they were on top. Akatsuki's first major album reached one million sells in less than a week, and for a while, their promotional video for the song "Byakko" was the only thing music stations played for a while.

But never did the band succumb to the fads of the music industry. They, somehow, defined the fads through their passion and creativity.

It was what made them legends, even five years later after they mysteriously broke up, out like a bang. They inspired many.

The legends' music even touched Naruto Uzumaki, soon to be a hit himself.

**A/N:** Hopefully this will be my first multi-chaptered fanfiction. u.u But I feel a little guilty for describing Akatsuki so much, even when they're not going to be the main characters. Ah well. Enjoy, and review please? D Constructive criticism is welcomed with open arms.


	2. Invention

**Chapter 2 – Invention**

_SCREEEECH_.

Naruto immediately regretted buying the new alarm clock. In the electronics store it had looked so nice, with a shiny black surface and multitudes of knobs that allowed one to do things such as set an alarm clock, show the temperature and date, and oh, of course, show the time. But now the evil device was screeching its mechanical heart out, the sounds penetrating through the walls to the other apartments.

He had half expected his mother to come in, stepping gingerly over the mess in his room.  
"Wake up, Naru-chan. It's time for school," she would say in that sweet voice. But all he received was an impassive alarm clock that only shut off once he banged the top of it twice.

The boy, after spending fifteen years with his mother, decided it might be nice to have some change and go off to live with his father in Tokyo. However, Naruto didn't realize that the man had become a little busy in the past decade and a half, not that warm presence Naruto remembered as a child. Sure, he loved Naruto with all his heart, but business was the path he chose long ago.

Naruto found a note and his school's uniform. It was a deep navy blue suit, with his year, one, embedded on the collar.

_Sorry I wasn't here in the morning, Naruto. There's breakfast in the fridge, along with a lunch box I bought yesterday. I've also written down the name of the train and station to get to your school. Have fun!_

_Love,_

_Arashi_

The blonde shook his head, but he donned the uniform quick enough. A bit tight on the shoulders, but it was nice enough. He looked toward the largest poster on the wall, depicting Akatsuki in all their glory. Itachi was standing near a graffiti-covered garage door, dressed up in red and black. His posture and expression were extremely casual, perhaps even sleepy. It seemed like the man had the power to lean against the very air itself. The others were there, each somewhat similar to Itachi, but Kisame was the only one who was sitting down.

"Your guys' lives aren't this boring even in retirement, right?" His blue eyes scrutinized Sasori's face. It almost looked as if the other was smirking at him. No no. It had to be because Deidara was decked out in a skirt, complete with lace.

-

The fresh air was an absolute relief

His first day at that blasted school wasn't very interesting, to say the least. He was surrounded by students who were the epitome of perfection. They were dough from rigid cookie cutters. The straighter their tie or the faster their hands shot up to answer a question the more identical to the rest of the batch they became, and thus closer to the top student grade.

Naruto sighed and moved toward the edge of the rooftop. The view was grand from here, and allowing the blonde to finally realize how big his father's town was compared to his old one. Cars traipsed along the roads, piloted by men in dark business suits and even darker sunglasses. There was the occasional merchant calling out sales to plastic-covered women who stomped about in heels as long and thin as rulers. The entire area, although composed mostly of cold cement and steel, had a few trees dotted here and there splashes of brilliant green against dull grey.

Naruto clipped his mp3 player on his jeans and then popped in his earplugs to be greeted by the warm voice of Itachi. He grabbed half of his sandwich and started to eat, getting lost in Akatsuki's song. It was a soft ballad this time, dominated by repeating strings of guitar notes. Itachi's voice seemed to float through the music, only growing louder when Kisame struck off two beats. He was so into the music that he never noticed the dark-haired figure walk up behind him, a cancer stick dangling from his slender fingers.

"Why are you listening to that rotten junk?"

The intruding voice was loud and too confident, contrasting harshly with Itachi's soft murmurings as he rambled on about pouring his own tea in an empty apartment room. This sound was deep, but would have been rich if it weren't for the annoyed feeling in the tone.

Turning on his heel, Naruto was quite prepared to pummel whoever had insulted his favorite band. Plus, someone who was that harsh deserved to be silenced no matter the subject. But what he saw threw his determination off.

Dark feathered bangs swept over a pair of eyes as black as soot, and tamely framed the smooth fair skin around it- strangely though, his hair stuck out in unruly spikes in the back. One corner of his pinkish-beige lips was just slightly pulled down in a frown, as if to say "You annoy me but you really aren't worth it."

As Naruto quickly trailed his gaze over the boy again, (stopping for a moment to look at his cigarette with some sort of annoyance) he realized that he had to tilt his head up to meet the young man's condescending gaze. Tall and slim, but carried well. It was a random thought, but just looking at him was like the feeling of eating a mint in a cold, snowy place.

"…How the hell do you know they suck?" Naruto's tone wasn't as strong as he'd like it to be.

The boy merely smirked and shot out a hand to grab Naruto's wrist. He, with surprising strength that betrayed his lithe frame, pulled the other forward. "Your hands are too soft," he mused. A haughty look fell over his features, sharpening his eyes.

Naruto, whose face was too close to other boy's chest, took some time to respond. Mm… he smelled like cinnamon, wait no… his hands are too soft? His warning radar went off, screeching as loud as his alarm clock. The blonde attempted to reel backwards, only to be held firmly in place by the boy's lethal death grip.

"What are you trying to get to! Argghh, let go of me!"

"Don't freak out, dobe. It just means you've never played an instrument, right?" He answered coolly.

Naruto's mother had never allowed him to play music since it was too "passionate and unruly." He had never understood why she thought that because her paintings was just as volatile, but it might be because he had starting bringing in posters of Akatsuki by then. Although the band was popular, they never made a good impression on the older generation by appearance alone.

His composure faltered even more. "And…?" he managed to say through gritted teeth. Naruto was still trying to futilely wriggle out of the boy's grip.

"It means you aren't a musician. It means that when you listen to them--or any other band, I bet--you only listen to the notes, right?" He let go of Naruto's wrist, causing the blonde to tumble back against the rooftop's gate. The boy's tone had lowered, all serious now. Naruto would have gladly listened if it weren't for the undertones of impatience. "Do you really _feel_ it, instead of just listen? There is no feeling in Akatsuki's music. It's just glamour."

The blonde was taken aback. Why did this complete stranger just come up and bash him so badly? Was he just pissed off because Naruto had taken his hiding spot during lunch? What bothered him more was the talk about feeling. Naruto had been at countless concerts before the band's retirement, sneaking in by telling his mother he was merely going downtown to eat with friends. He had grinded to the beat with the crowd, getting high off the music alone. But what did this other boy mean by feel? The stranger's voice was so confident that it made him almost believe him. Almost.

"You don't know them at all!" Naruto hissed.

The dark-haired boy took a long drag on his cigarette and exhaled, causing the smoke to drift right into Naruto's face, bending like a fictional chloroform-soaked cloth. The blonde coughed, but the other boy started to talk, "I know them a lot better than you." A pause. "You know what though? You're so cute and flustered that I'll show you what I mean. Come meet me at the bus stop right in front of the Yamanaka Flower Shop. As soon as you can, but I suppose you can change." He flicked the cigarette so that a few ashes landed on Naruto's uniform.

Naruto's gaze lowered. He was unable to say a word.

"Okay then." Sasuke smiled, but the emotion didn't reach his eyes. He turned and walked off, just as quietly as he had entered. The cigarette was tossed over the edge of the roof, still releasing its lethal smoke into the air.

Itachi's voice suddenly swelled, riding on Sasori's intricate bass notes.

_The heart I've forgotten somewhere is starting to hurt a little._

_I keep searching for you in a night lit by the stars that are bound to that time._

-

Naruto didn't quite know why he was here, standing under the shade of two monstrous oak trees underside the Yamanaka flower shop. For one, it was spring and owners displayed almost all of their wares outside. The splashes of red and glimmers of purple were nice to look at, but the open flowers let loose pollen that tickled Naruto's nose like multitudes of feathers. He sighed, a deep audible sound tinged with annoyance, and stuffed both fists into his pockets.

Maybe it was out of curiosity; maybe it was because he really didn't have anything else to do anyways. But this was most definitely how teenagers felt when that dark stranger offered illegal drugs in alleyways. Naruto knew it was stupid to go when there was no solid reward in sight, but that's what made things exciting. …Right?

The bus had gone by twice—no, three times and still no damnable black-haired boy. Ino, a loud blonde in Naruto's homeroom stuck her head out of the doorway, starling him. Her family must own the shop, Naruto guessed. Students at his school weren't allowed to have part time jobs.

"Hey Naruto-kun! Are you waiting for someone?"

Naruto inclined his head toward her and gave a brief nod. She didn't seem so interested in him during class, so he felt no obligation to talk now.

"Oh wait. You're waiting for Sasuke, aren't you?" Ino went on. There was a smirk dancing on her lips. However, it was more amused than malicious.

He shook his head mentally. He was only curious about what the other boy had said, and whether or not there was any god-given proof to his earlier proclamation. It was an ego thing, nothing more.

"Sasuke's his name? There's no way you can know who I'm waiting for," Naruto managed to reply, feigning disinterest.

Ino moved completely out of the shop, revealing a sultry figure with her arm crooked at her waist. She was definitely not the innocent girl in class anymore. "That boy might seem anti-social to you, since he doesn't eat in class," the blonde emphasized the last few words, noting that Naruto does the same thing, "but he has his friends. Well, at least people he talks to. Shikamaru said Sasuke was shirking on cleaning duties to meet a 'cute blonde boy.' And you're the only cute blonde guy in this town."

Naruto shrugged and held back the need to sneeze. "Okay… so?"

"There's only one thing that Sasuke does on Friday. But I'll let you find that out." The girl grinned, eyes shining dangerously. "Oh, look!" Naruto followed the direction of her finger to see a certain figure. Ino quickly entered the shop and slammed the door shut.

Sasuke was slumped over, a beanie squashing down most of his hair, which only served to make the other strands stick out at odder angles than before. He carried himself with an indifferent air, almost cocky. There was no cigarette. However, his gaze rested on Naruto for some time, trailing up from his shoes to the other's cerulean eyes. But there was no smile yet, only a brief nod to acknowledge him.

"Let's go."

At first Naruto wanted to yell at Sasuke. Not even an apology for being late or an explanation of where they were going was offered. But when he opened his mouth to give the other boy a verbal lashing, Sasuke finally smiled.

Now it wasn't anything that lit up his entire face. It was rather like a single crack upon a stone statue. One wouldn't normally notice it, but once the difference was identified it impacted the viewer greatly. Naruto was shut up immediately.

The two took their time down the streets, following a difficult path that made them stumble through large crowds and crush fresh grass in overgrown parks. Although they were both walking next to each other, the silence continued to envelope them the entire length of their journey.

Naruto was disgusted with the knowledge that it was only quiet because Sasuke wanted it. But he was even more disgusted with the fact that the silence was almost comforting, no doubt because Sasuke willed it that way too.

Sasuke found no need to talk, and thus Naruto didn't either.

This will be the only time he controls me like this, Naruto thought.

A shame he was wrong.

-

**A/N: **My muse is so volatile it hurts. I'm sorry that this is most probably going to come later than I expected it to. (Edit: Almost a three weeks later.) By the way, an invention is pretty much an exercise for the piano. It has to do with adding two or three part counterpoints, or basically two or three independent melodies. Thus, Sasuke and Naruto. Yeah, I'm a dork…

And as always, thanks for my darling beta arriku. Go bother her on dA. She helped me tons in this fanfiction; I can always count on her honest opinions. Sasuke's initial description is written by her. I was totally failing in writing it. xD Any errors left are all mine.

Please review? Constructive critiscm is welcome, as always.


	3. Form

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto, and this fanfiction isn't getting the author or anyone money.

**A/N**: I normally put disclaimers, but I've been really lazy lately. Hope you all enjoy the chapter. I'm trying to focus on a more limited point of view from Naruto, but there will be moments with Sasuke. And oh my, the style of this story isn't exactly turning out the way I first had in mind, but I don't think it's totally a bad thing. The chapter is shorter than I originally planned it to be. Sorry about the slow update.

**Chapter 3 - Form**

-

The energy rolled off of them like waves, making the very air heavy. There were flailing limbs and tensed muscles everywhere Naruto looked. He'd bump and crash and step against others, and he still couldn't see the stage that clearly. The atmosphere was so different from the big concerts he had gone too. Sure, the live house was a lot smaller than the stadiums Akatsuki's fans demanded, but he could have sworn there was more energy. He choreographed his movements to match the music more and perhaps truly become "one" with the crowd. He could feel the very pulse of life dancing upon the harsh notes and sweat-covered flesh of those around him. But he supposed what really made it different from those big concerts was that these people actually _understood_ the music and weren't just hopelessly devoted to it; there was people against the walls with arms folded, noting every time Sasuke or the drummer would be even a sixteenth note off. Is this what Sasuke meant? That one could only love music if they truly knew it? That they could fall into the depths of passion and in the next moment become the hard-to-impress veteran?

-

Most of the people were older college students who dared to take a break from the suffocating stress of studying. Once and a while Naruto would find someone who went to his school, like that girl over there who was tall and sleek, tricked out in dark colors and shiny accessories. But Naruto could have sworn that he had just seen her in P.E., ranting about some girly Korean singer who was going to guest star in some drama. What was she doing with all of these rough-looking people? In fact, what was _he_ doing with all—

A fierce tug from Sasuke made Naruto focus again. In front of him was a smiling boy with most of his hair hidden under a hood. He didn't look that scary compared to everyone else. He prodded Naruto in the stomach and spoke before the other had time to protest.

"Haha, so you already seduced the new kid, eh, Sasuke?" He gave an exaggerated wink, to which Sasuke replied to with a nonchalant shrug. "He's not bad-looking though. He'll like the music. The 'Desert' siblings are opening for tonight."

Kiba gave a pat—a little too hard—on Naruto's shoulder before scampering off, murmuring about finding someone else and leaving the two alone.

Sasuke dug his fist in his pockets. "Kiba's from class D. I used to have class with him in middle school." All the words were soft and monotonous, as if Naruto were a small child asking numerous questions, and Sasuke was the barely tolerant older brother. Naruto frowned.

"I didn't need you to infor—"

"Whatever."

The blonde shuffled along to follow Sasuke, only pausing when the boy talked to others. Man, that boy fit so well into whatever crowd. Even his dismissive nod or shrug was elegant.

Naruto was doing pretty well in not asking questions. (So not because he was too amazed on how a jerk like Sasuke could make all of the girls here blush and stutter without even trying.) But when some tall girl with heels bigger than her saucer-sized hoop earrings stepped on his foot, Naruto just couldn't take it anymore.

"Damn it, teme! Why are we just standing around and chatting like we're at a tea party?"

Sasuke turned and raised an eyebrow. "You haven't figured out that this is a music venue yet? We're waiting for the first band. Just chill," he said smoothly.

"Uh, really?" Naruto looked around until he spotted a stage at the far end of the room. It was adorned with tons of music equipment. Wait where did that come from? Naruto thought. This place was so crowded that he hadn't seen it before. …Or the tons of posters that advertised bands that had played here before…

Just then, a red-haired boy stepped onto the stage. He wore a simple black shirt that hugged his already thin body. He had what seemed like kohl around his eyes and a particular marking on his forehead that spelled out love in crimson ink. His manner was cool despite being short and most probably Naruto's own age. He adjusted the microphone to his height before speaking.

"Hey. We'll be up in a moment, just a problem," said his voice as it came through the speakers.

As if on cue, a tough-looking blonde came out of nowhere and all but tackled Sasuke. "Hey Sasuke. Play guitar for us, will you? We'll just play covers. Shikamaru's sick."

Naruto only heard a muffled "sure" and then he was suddenly alone. He shook his head. So was Sasuke going to play after dissing the band Akatsuki? The blonde mused. No way. The boy pushed his way through the crowd to get closer.

By the time he could almost touch the stage, Sasuke had already borrowed someone's red Stratocaster and was weighing it in his arms delicately. Then Sasuke let out a blaring chord. The blonde and a boy with a painted face followed suit, both on bass and drums respectively. Sasuke picked up the speed, as if challenging them.

Naruto couldn't believe how much Sasuke's manners changed. He had been quiet and uninterested with everything today, but now he was pouring his heart and soul into a simple thing like music. No, Naruto thought. Music had never been a simple thing to him, even before he met that dark-haired enigma. Sasuke just confirmed that it was so utterly complex.

Sasuke bit his lip just the slightest as the patterns became more demanding. His fingers flew over the rifts and practically made love to the music. Even the red head's strong voice couldn't pull Naruto's attention away from the boy.

If Sasuke could only love those adoring girls as much as he loved this.

He reminded him of how his mother used to paint. Naruto used to watch for hours when he was little, dead silent and knees curled under him. His mother, normally quiet and barely showing affection, would stroke away at the canvas, bringing unorganized colors into something beautiful. When she was done he'd just stare and stare at the finished product with so much awe.

And Naruto did the same thing now. In fact, he didn't even join in the crowd's movements until the second song when he was able to gain control of himself.

But the more Naruto thought about it… Sasuke didn't just remind him of his mom. He represented or maybe _mimicked_ someone else's passion.

Someone Naruto swore he knew about.

-

Naruto was fed up with waiting and was about ready to make a break for the door when Sasuke appeared, looking extremely disheveled. A cute girl from his school (her name was Hinata, Naruto remembered), followed him.

"Oh! Na-Naruto-kun!" she said in a soft soprano. Her already timid self became more self-conscious if that was even possible. Her gaze flitted from the floor and back to Naruto repeatedly. "I didn't know you were the fr-friend Sasuke-kun was talking about. So do you erm… like the music here, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto smiled widely, glad that someone had come along and saved him from his boredom. He didn't expect Sasuke to offer an apology for disappearing, so he turned all of his attention to Hinata. "I'm actually more surprised that _you're_ here. But I still have a lot to learn about this tow—"

And Naruto was interrupted once more for today, but by someone very unlikely.

"Ah! Hinata, I was looking for you!" Kiba managed to wedge himself in the tiny space between Naruto and Hinata. No one picked on you, right?" There was something akin to a snarl in his tone, and Naruto could have sworn he was purposely pushed back by Kiba as the boy placed an arm around the girl's shoulder. What did he do wrong?

Sasuke fixed his beanie and yawned loudly. "Kiba plays drums in Hinata's band, at least as a guest. But let's get going. Bye everyone."

Naruto blinked a few times, but followed Sasuke out of the door. At least he was leaving.

-

"Okay, okay. You guys kicked ass!" Naruto said with a crooked grin. "Bring me again!"

Sasuke, who had been digging around his fridge, pulled out a water bottle and took a long chug before answering. "Whatever. I haven't played with Gaara and them for a while. I wasn't on the same plane as them."

"Sure, whatever you say," Naruto replied, stubbornly sure that Sasuke had done a good performance at the show.

The dark-haired boy pulled out two bags of soy snacks and went to sit down on the coach next to Naruto. He passed the bag without saying anything.

Naruto wanted to hate him again because he was acting like this. At first he had been reluctant in accepting Sasuke's invitation to come over, but no one was going to be home at his own place anyhow. But it seemed like no one else was here either. Sure, the place had signs of life, like the scattered family photos and the half-full rice cooker, but it was current as empty as a park on a rainy day. Everything was organized nicely, albeit a little too stiff and formally. But even Naruto, usually the not-so-observant one, could see the thin layer of dust coated over objects.

"Your folks…" Naruto started tentatively and opened the bag.

"Not here," Sasuke interjected just a tad too quickly. He pushed back a strand of hair and seized the snack bag once he realized Naruto wasn't going to eat any. "Dad has a big case. Mom is visiting her aunt."

"Right."

Sasuke gave one of his signature shrugs, popped a few pieces of food into his mouth, and reached for the remote control. He was once more putting up that barrier. Even though the boy was a good actor at seeming very composed, his frequents interjections and awfully cool replies caused Naruto to become suspicious. Even a lion had its weak points.

Naruto suddenly felt very awkward. He had been too caught up in Sasuke's awesome playing to notice it before, but had had just met the guy and no he was in his house, eating his food, and lounging on his couch like they had been best buds for all eternity?

"Uh… How'd you learn to play?" he asked, desperate to fill the silence that nearly drowned him.

Sasuke didn't even turn his head. "A friend."

"…You wanna hook me up then?"

Sasuke paused mid-chew, gave Naruto a long, intense look and then swallowed. He got up and disappeared through one of the long hallways. Naruto sighed and followed, only to see Sasuke tugging out a large case from a pile of boxes in one of the rooms. Sasuke seemed very focused; he hadn't even bothered to turn on the lights. With one firm pull he got it loose, causing dust to fly in the air.

"Here."

Sasuke opened the case with a few deft movements as Naruto searched the wall for a switch and flooded the room with light.

What Naruto saw made his jaw drop to the floor.

The acoustic guitar wasn't very new, but it wasn't cheap either. The outside was a deep-red, with only a few scratches on the surface. A brand name, something in Spanish, was embellished in gold on the head stock. The strings were newly replaced. But goodness, Naruto thought it was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen.

Sasuke motioned for Naruto to pick it up. The other boy obeyed soundlessly, still in awe.

"Give a strum; use your thumb like this. No, here." Sasuke made a noise under his breath in disapproval and moved behind Naruto. The blonde, for the first time, noticed that Sasuke was only a few inches taller, but tall enough to easily wrap both arms around him to guide his hand into the right position. The scent of mint invaded the air. Naruto barely heard Sasuke's next words; he was just too stunned. He felt crushed against the other's chest and swore he could feel the other's heart beating. Or was it his own heart pounding through his rib cage? This was too awkward.

"I can let you borrow a book in the beginning. But don't expect too much, okay?" His breath tickled Naruto's ear. Damnit, did the bastard even realize how he was acting? Naruto wiggled a little bit, regaining his senses and need to confirm his manhood. He was about to throw Sasuke off when the boy spoke again.

"Just promise me one thing, Naruto."

There was an affirmative grunt. He was too easily squashed back down.

"You'll play to please yourself. Not others."

-

When Naruto left, Sasuke had immediately sat back down on the couch. He desperately needed to smoke, but he knew his father would smell it inside the house. There was the other option of smoking on the front porch too, but Sasuke didn't want to see Naruto's back as the other scuttled off toward the nearest bus stop, the heavy case in hand. So he had lit incense. The little stick burned to ashes on the ornamental stand, right smack dab on the bare carpet.

The scent of heavy spice rose up steadily. Sasuke, although sometimes mean, wasn't stupid enough to burn the incense that was reserved for the family altar. So he had decided to burn the more expensive Indian incense his mother had brought back from one of her trips.

But he knew that his actions were futile. The cloud of smoke and smells wouldn't fill the emptiness of the house or clear the fullness of his mind.

-

Please review, be it praise or constructive criticism. Getting better is my only goal.


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